Non-Surgical Voice Repair

Geraldine Dayton - Voice Repair (Dysphonia) - London, UK
Hello Diana

Thank you for your support and kindness over the last few days. I'm so excited by the improvement in my voice, even if I now have a Canadian accent!!! I'm practicing and look forward to speaking in a couple of weeks. Go well.

Geraldine x

Judy Hayes, Florida, U.S.A.:
Of course I was hesitant to come to Toronto, Canada from Florida, U.S.

By the time I came, I had already spent $15,000 attending 4 ENTs, 2 speech therapists, a thyroid specialist and a neurologist.

I'm self-employed and do not have insurance, so all of those tests in the U.S. cost a lot of money.

I was diagnosed with dysphonia, but I did not reveal to Diana my diagnosis, as I wasn't sure that she would want to deal with me.

Within five minutes after we met in the neighbourhood cafe before starting the first session, Diana exclaimed, "You sound like you have full blown dysphonia".

I was amazed that she knew that right away, as back home, it took a whole bunch of tests by being hooked up to the special machines, to finally get the diagnosis.

I went to two speech therapists, but they did not impress me and I did not feel confident to do any work with them.

When I spoke to Diana, I got a lot more information speaking with her than with anybody else for the last two and a half years.

She spoke with absolute certainty and sounded like she definitely knew what she was talking about. I, right away, started to feel more confident.

Granted, it cost me almost $4000 for five days of Diana's revolutionary instruction and herbal treatment, but it was definitely worth it, as I felt very happy while speaking much better and being completely understood, as before, the sound was coming out very low and very raspy and without any articulation or placement, for that matter, which Diana taught me about.

I am most certain now that after Diana's course and my homework for my voice and mainly for my overall health, that when I will return back to Diana's studio and then will get introduced to her health affiliates to help me feel even better, I will have full confidence that all of it in combination will definitely help me to regain my voice to its full extent.

Diana and I are both excited about me regaining my full voice as I had before, and it will be much better now, as I have learned Diana's revolutionary Vocal Science technique, which also taught me how to place and project my voice properly, away from my vocal anatomy, which in turn resulted in the complete comfort in my throat and negated the nagging and constant pain, which I have experienced in the past two and a half years.

Now I have a clear picture of how to proceed from here.

Thank you, Diana.

Marion Webster, Bluegrass Singer, Nodule on the right Vocal Chord, Massachusetts, U.S.A.:
Question: How is your throat? Answer: Good! I feel good. No pain! No strain! Nothing! Question: You were very skeptical to begin with and it took quite an effort to get you in. Was it worth it?
Answer: It was SO WORTH IT because I haven't been able to sing since August. And I'd just been so depressed because I couldn't sing. And now I can sing! And I have hope. I know I have to take it slow and practice these new techniques. But I'm so happy that I can sing again and I love this particular technique because I feel so up and positive. I love smiling and biting while I sing. I just think Diana is brilliant with her work and I recommend it highly. I came here with two nodules that were diagnosed in August and I know that they are now either gone or almost gone. I'm so grateful that I know how to sing now so that they won't come back. And I have musician friends and my band back home that want me back singing and I am so grateful that I can sing again. Thank you Diana!

This is an excerpt from Marion's letter addressed to us several weeks after her 10 hours of Voice Repair and Vocal Instruction:
"I thank God for sending me to you, my voice repair angel of hope! Thank you, thank you & I'll be letting you know about all the joyful singing in my life. Many blessings to you in your important work and also in your new marriage! "

Tone Aarstad - Voice Repair Client/Singer, New York:
"Thank you so much for fixing my voice & making it possible for me to sing again. Words cannot describe how thankful I am for what you have done and what I have learned from you. I thank you for the knowledge and making something possible that I may not have dared to dream about only 1 month ago. There is no reason for anybody to be skeptical. I'm a different person - this has really changed my whole singing experience. It's amazing! I'm a new person going back to New York. It was so worth it to come from New York and you can't measure this in money."

Jonghee Shadix - Voice Repair Client, Alabama:
"I feel great. I feel really good. I can see the difference in my voice. And I understand everything that you taught me. I would definitely be happy to write to other people on www.voicematters.net and tell them about my positive experience here and that I was happy to find you and I am very happy with the result."

Ernie Leach - Voice Repair Client, California:
"I came to Diana's on Tuesday and couldn't even speak. Today is Friday and I am actually singing. I can't believe it, but it's true. It is much more than I expected. Thank you Diana."

Tim Myth - Professional Singer/Songwriter, Montreal:
"Diana is a revolutionary, true Trail Blazer! Watch out - she's coming for you! It was definitely worth it to come to Toronto for 5 days and I am very fortunate to have met her."

Dennis Goltaio - Singer, Tacoma, Washington:
"Before when I would sing a song my voice would be shot for weeks. I wouldn't be able to sing again. Now I can sing, do vocal exercises and I can sing for a long time and not feel it the next day. It's incredible. I wish that we didn't have to mess up our voices before we learned we were doing something wrong. I'm glad I came for the course."

Troy Hall, Professional Salesperson, Nodules on both Vocal Chords, Fresno, California:
"It was absolutely worth it to come to Toronto. It was a fantastic experience. My voice is like night and day. When I first got here I could barely speak. Now one of the nodules is still there - it takes time to heal - but the procedure has been phenomenal and it feels clear on the left side of my throat where the other nodule had been. Learning how to speak correctly - stomach in, body out, projection. I'm still learning, but I'm going to get it. It's phenomenal. I can't say enough."

Orlando, Professional Singer, Okanagan Valley British Columbia, Voice Repair/Voice Therapy/Speech Instruction/Nodule on right vocal chord:
"I feel that as long as I adopt the habits that Diana has given me, I will not tire out my voice. It's easier to speak right now - the more I speak in the manner that she has taught me, the more comfortable my voice feels and the less it feels tired. It was absolutely worth it to fly in, even from Mexico where I was wintering. I feel the clarity and the power in my voice and hear the difference in my voice"

Jared Hobgood, Professional Singer with a large nodule on his right vocal chord and five pre-nodules on his left vocal chord, Key West, Florida:
"It was definitely worth it (to travel to Toronto from Key West for the Voice Repair Program) - it helped me to move around the vocal chords. Before I couldn't even speak much during the day because it would just close up on me. But now I'm getting around the vocal chords and nodules while singing. I'd like to come back for more."

Jillian Hughes, Professional Cruise Ship Singer, Large Obstruction on the right Vocal Chord and Rough Surface on the left side of the throat, Edmonton Alberta:
"My voice feels so much better. I can really hear the improvement. It's a million times better. I'm singing way higher now. Before I could only sing low. So I only chose to sing everything low and it was really raspy. It was completely worth it to take the Voice Repair course. I don't know what I would have done if I could no longer sing. The whole feeling of singing this way is much easier than how I had been singing before. This is the best thing I have ever done for myself."
This is an excerpt from Jillian's letter addressed to us several weeks after her combined 20 hours of Voice Repair and Vocal Instruction: "I am doing great...my voice feels amazing....I have been doing your warm-ups every day and the difference in my voice is incredible. Now that I am speaking properly it has made a huge difference in my singing...my voice has more clarity and my range is really coming back! What I appreciate the most is that I actually understand how to recognize improper technique and correct it myself (not as well as you, but I'm working on it!) I can't wait to do another 10 hours when you come on the ship. I love you! "

Emilce Karpiuk, Orlando, Florida:
"I had three operations and three or four nodules at a time prior to coming to the Royans Institute. The last operation took place on February 14, 2006. My vocal chords were very swollen after this operation. After 10 hours of instruction I can say that it was more than worth it to travel to Toronto from Florida. Before I couldn't even speak some days and now when I wake up in the morning I can speak. And when I called my home, I spoke to my Uncle and two of my best friends and they could not even recognize my voice. They kept saying ' Who is this? Who is this?' and I said 'You don't know me?'. It was very funny and I kept playing the game with them. And finally when they realized it was me, they said, 'That's not your voice - you're always so hoarse. Now your voice is high and nice.' Even though I live far away, I'm coming again. My voice keeps getting better and better - I wish I had more time. It's amazing - I don't even have the words, because before I came in I couldn't even speak. I achieved so much in such a short time. I wish I lived in Toronto, I would come every single day of my life."

Lisa Progulske, Two operations to remove vocal nodules on both Vocal Chords, Massachusetts, U.S.A.:
"It was an awesome trip. I met an incredible brilliant woman who has really helped me a lot - mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally and vocally. I learned a great deal and I would definitely recommend the course to all singers - period!"

Massimo Astrologo, Accidentally Damaged Vocal Box, New York, U.S.A.:
"My voice is now stronger and I feel that I am enunciating better. My throat feels much better and the instruction and herbs helped a lot. The instruction was very important and valuable. I'm surprised that I can hit the high notes again. I thought that after the accident I would never be able to do that again. I know how to approach it now. It was definitely worth it to come here from New York. I'm so happy that I did. Thank you Diana."

John Duran, Professional Actor, Los Angeles, California:
"I feel I learned a lot. The general principles have stuck with me and I just need to apply them. The same principles apply to both singing and speaking. I have a path now. Thank you! I feel a lot better. Thank God - that's what I have to say! I'm getting it more and more every day. It's about supporting yourself, biting on the words and using your cheekbone muscles. I have to be a "good tiger"! It was absolutely worth it to fly to Toronto. I had taken a lot of lessons in L.A. and there is no comparison. In LA they try to get you to take classes for as long as possible and teach you slowly over a long period of time things that don't work. And here you learn things that do work in a short period of time and it is worth the price. Thank you!"

Azhar Usman, Professional Comedian, Nodule on the right Vocal Chord, Chicago, U.S.A.:
"I feel much better. I think this is a revolutionary technique. And I just need to practice it and rehearse and make sure that I am speaking correctly - breathing, supporting, "smiling and biting", make sure that the cheekbone muscles are being implemented properly and visualizing the circles. I'm going to keep working on it and it is my intent to come back for a refresher course. My voice feels much better right now. I came to Toronto with literally a nodule on my vocal chord after effectively having damaged and abused my vocal chords for some time. It was absolutely worth it to come to Toronto from Chicago and I would strongly recommend this course to anybody that is struggling with their vocal chords, looking to not only fix their problem in a healthy way, but to also adopt a new technique that will allow them to speak or sing without abusing their vocal chords."

Nick Stojanovic, Actor, Toronto, Ontario:
"I came to the Royans School for one objective; to learn how to speak. I've spent my whole life talking under my breath to the point where sometimes other people couldn't make out what I was saying. Subconsciously I may have been trying to hide my voice from others due to the fact that I felt I had an unusually high voice for a man. Being a 6' tall male I felt embarrassed when I was sometimes mistaken as a female voice over the phone. Vocal Science taught me proper projection and placement of my voice. I have actually learned how to instill more bass in my voice thus lowering the high sound that is produced and bringing a more normal sound to my voice. I recommend it to anyone who feels uncomfortable with the way their speaking voice currently sounds."

Sandra Valks, Bellville, Ontario:
"I'm feeling much more light and I'm starting to feel it up in here in my cheekbone muscles and it's not catching in my throat as often. I really like the sound now. I'm catching it - your "virus" you know! A good "virus"! You're in my system now. I'm not coughing or clearing my throat at all. It was definitely worthwhile to drive all the way from Belleville and it was definitely worth my money, my time and my effort."

Gary Manz, Neil Diamond Tribute Singer, Vocal Nodule on the right Vocal Chord, Hawaii:
"Before I used to sing for half an hour and my voice and throat were hurting for three days. Now, after Diana's course, I just sung for three consecutive days and didn't feel any pain or discomfort in any part of my vocal anatomy."

Jason Zheng, Professional Actor/Singer, Long Island, New York:
"These 10 hours of instruction were invaluable. Definitely. I can tell because usually after speaking or singing my throat felt tense and constricted. But after each lesson with you it was like it opened right up automatically and it is not stuck in my throat any more. Even when I talk it feels and sounds more vibrant and not squeezed in the throat. I have learned in these 10 lessons that you really need to open up and 'free your voice and take flight'."

Lisa Dupuis, Legal Secretary, Toronto:
"When I first met Diana, I had what most would consider a strange goal: to speak properly. I am not a professional speaker or singer, but I have suffered from vocal nodules for over 13 years. Since first diagnosed in 1989, I have endured weeks and months with a hoarse voice and sore throat. After 2 surgeries and repeated visits to speech therapists, I was losing hope. From May to November 2002, I hit bottom. My voice was rough and my throat was sore - so sore that it hurt to speak. To compensate for this, I chose silence. I just wouldn't speak unless I absolutely had to. I thought I was doing the right thing by "saving" my voice, especially after I heard that several professional singers wouldn't talk for days before a concert in order to keep their voice in the best condition possible. I am so thankful that I found Diana! She assured me that my self-imposed periods of silence would not be necessary once I learned how to speak properly. She knew exactly what I was doing wrong. It wasn't just how I was speaking - it was my breathing, my posture, and my health. Diana looked at every aspect of my situation and addressed each piece. Her vocal therapy techniques have healed my voice and improved my speaking dramatically. Most importantly, my nodules have disappeared after just 2 months! In 13 years no one else has been able to help me. Diana is the only one who explained what I was doing wrong and what I needed to change. My involvement with her has greatly improved my quality of life, and for that I will forever be grateful."

Oleg Daixen, Musician, 40 years of age:
"I came to Canada in 1988 and started immediately working in various clubs and restaurants as a bass guitarist and vocalist. Each night I could barely sing four or five songs at the most and the quality of my vocal performances always left something to be desired. However, in spite of this, I always felt that I had some vocal talent, but that I had no idea how to use my voice to its fullest capacity. In 1991, I left show business and I went to work in a totally unrelated field for nine years. Within that period of time I never sang or played. This year (2001) I understood that I really wanted to return to the stage and do what I really love to be doing, but I also realized that now it would be much more difficult than it was 10 years ago. First of all, there are not as many venues for live musicians as there were previously; 90% of the clubs are now using DJ's or offering karaoke. I was afraid that as a bass guitarist I would not be in high demand. I quickly learned that most opportunities went to musicians who could also sing as well as play. Therefore, I decided to try and build a singing repertoire for myself. With the help of my musician friends I collected a lot of material and started singing it without really knowing what I was doing. As a result, I damaged my vocal chords and my throat and not only could I not sing, but I could hardly speak. I was referred to an ENT doctor who helped me recover my speaking voice but who also informed me that I would probably never sing again. Very luckily for me, somebody referred me to Diana Yampolsky. The references were very positive with regards to her as both a Voice Repair Specialist/Vocal Coach as well as a person. Upon our first meeting I learned that she is a very strong teacher and a very strong vocalist and that what Diana was going to teach me was very innovative and revolutionary. After the interview with me and after listening to my voice and examining my eyes (Diana does irridology as well), she said with absolute certainty that not only would I able to sing again but I would be able to sing very well! Not hesitating a minute, I decided to take the Vocal Science course that Diana was offering me. "The very first and foremost thing you need," said Diana, "is to undergo the speech development course and along with it you will need to take some natural herbs and remedies." And indeed this allowed me to speak and sing without any pain. It's not possible to describe in words what Diana does because she works individually with everyone and for everyone she has an individual approach. On the last lesson, number eight, I was able to sing a song that I had always wanted to sing, but could not because I had never previously had the necessary knowledge or skill. Diana made a video clip of my performance. After I listened to it, I was very pleased and very surprised at how good it sounded. In other words, you could really call what Diana taught me a MIRACLE! As a conclusion, I would like to thank Diana with all my heart for her school, her revolutionary system of teaching, and for her very existence. I am grateful beyond words!"

George Loakes, California:
"Diana, I just got back. I can not stop thanking you for the magical changes in my voice. Thanks A MILLION for your patience and your encouragement and your keen ears and your vast knowledge of the human voice and thanking the universe that our paths crossed so I was able to access you. Thanks again from the bottom of my heart.... YOU gave me a second lease on life...I FEEL NORMAL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 25 YEARS... DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?.IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME...YOU ARE A SAINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ashok Narayan, Johannesburg, South Africa:
"I'm finally back home in Johannesburg. I'd like to thank you for the the wonderful sessions I had with you. I will always be in your debt for having taught me to speak painlessly. I know now that if I put in the effort, I can speak with a proper voice and that I don't have to go through life with the raspy voice that I had. My throat feels quite open now and although the voice is still a little high, I am sure that with proper practice of the techniques you have shown me, I will overcome this hurdle as well. And thank you for your wonderful hospitality, kindness and patience during the week that I was there.I will keep in touch to let you know how I'm doing."

Tina Cross, Professional Singer, New Zealand:
Question: How is your voice holding up now? Is the new technique helping?
Answer: Absolutely! I'm getting to the point where I'm trusting that the placement that "I have learned is starting to sink in. It's started to sink in and become muscle memory -everything we have been doing. It's getting better and better. It's just feeling easier to sing. It's becoming less difficult. Before when I sang this song at the funeral, obviously I was upset, but I also felt hoarse, strained and throaty. If I had had this technique I'm sure I would have been able to control it a lot better. My first impression of Vocal Science is one of amazement. I wasn't quite sure I could apprehend it since I had never heard of it before. After the Workshop and the 10 Hour course I can honestly feel that where Diana has taken my voice, and I have been singing professionally for the last 31 years, is to a completely different level ? another planet so to speak! I'm now singing with a different placement, more power, a brighter, stronger resonating sound. It's obviously in the vocal chamber now. I thank you from the bottom of my heart Diana because coming here and learning your method has been amazing. Thank you so much. Love you very much."

Eve Brueggeman, Alaska, U.S.A:
"I feel like I made a dramatic improvement and I feel a big difference in my voice. I wish I could come back. Or we will see you in Alaska! I feel like after five days, when I look at the Before and After Videos, I can see not only a difference in my voice, but also in how I look, my appearance (while singing), how I present myself. My voice is definitely much better. My throat feels good. We've been doing it for 1 and 1/2 hours straight now and I'm not coughing or clearing my throat. And that wouldn't be the case five days ago. I definitely have a good idea of what I am doing now and there is a huge improvement in the quality of my singing, especially the pitch and the tonality."